The Father Of The F-150 Raptor, Jamal Hameedi, Departs Ford

[smurfslayer]

Biggest risk is without a visionary leader, the Raptor will turn into a focus group lead design. 90% of Raptors are pavement princesses and that influence could cause the Raptor to devolve from an offroad beast to a luxury SUV with a factory lift kit.

I don’t think so, part of the Raptor street cred is that it has usable offload capability, right when you buy it, warranty and all. Ford is selling every Raptor they make, and the dealers make a hefty profit on each one. 30 seconds into the first ride in my Raptor, my snooty, brand-b, euro-snob neighbor proclaimed.

‘yeah... you got me, my bmw can’t do that’. I made him repeat it several times.

The Rap would be a poor choice to turn the corporate back on. It’s a winner, it sells like mad, can do crazy stuff off road, and drive home in comfort.

 

[jaz13]

I don’t think so, part of the Raptor street cred is that it has usable offload capability, right when you buy it, warranty and all. Ford is selling every Raptor they make, and the dealers make a hefty profit on each one. 30 seconds into the first ride in my Raptor, my snooty, brand-b, euro-snob neighbor proclaimed.

‘yeah... you got me, my bmw can’t do that’. I made him repeat it several times.

The Rap would be a poor choice to turn the corporate back on. It’s a winner, it sells like mad, can do crazy stuff off road, and drive home in comfort.

Funny you mention BMW. 15 years ago they had the highest performance sedans period. (e39 M5 is as good as it gets) Now BMWs are bloated pigs that have nothing in common with their predecessors. That's what focus group engineering does.

While BMW destroyed their credibility with driving enthusiasts, it's been a home run financially because they went from a small, niche car brand in the US to dominating the luxury segment.

Without a strong, visionary leader in charge of the Performance division, expect focus group engineering to take over. Why risky your career on a bold decision when you can play it safe by going with what is popular in focus groups?

These boards are full of ideas on how to "fix" the Raptor. Less body roll. Firmer brakes. 20" wheels. More lights. Better stereo. V8 growl. Power assist tailgate. Etc. The Raptor will probably get all of those things and be less of an off-roader because of it. But the suburban crowd will gobble it up, so it is probably a smart business decision.

 

[jabroni619]

Funny you mention BMW. 15 years ago they had the highest performance sedans period. (e39 M5 is as good as it gets) Now BMWs are bloated pigs that have nothing in common with their predecessors. That's what focus group engineering does.

While BMW destroyed their credibility with driving enthusiasts, it's been a home run financially because they went from a small, niche car brand in the US to dominating the luxury segment.

Without a strong, visionary leader in charge of the Performance division, expect focus group engineering to take over. Why risky your career on a bold decision when you can play it safe by going with what is popular in focus groups?

These boards are full of ideas on how to "fix" the Raptor. Less body roll. Firmer brakes. 20" wheels. More lights. Better stereo. V8 growl. Power assist tailgate. Etc. The Raptor will probably get all of those things and be less of an off-roader because of it. But the suburban crowd will gobble it up, so it is probably a smart business decision.

Each new gen M5 has outperformed the previous so I’m not entirely sure what it is you’re complaining about in that regard.

 

[jaz13]

Each new gen M5 has outperformed the previous so I’m not entirely sure what it is you’re complaining about in that regard.

If by "outperformed" you mean more horsepower and better 0-60 times, yes you are correct. Unfortunately for driving enthusiasts, BMW built its reputation on handling and that went to shit with the bloated e60. There's a reason good e39 M5s are going for $40k while the newer e60 M5s can be had for $20k.

 

[pup]

‘yeah... you got me, my bmw can’t do that’. I made him repeat it several times.

I really like my Raptor, but having been a BMW owner as well, I'm struggling to think of much that it can do on pavement that any BMW can't do 5x better.

 

[Truckzor]

I really like my Raptor, but having been a BMW owner as well, I'm struggling to think of much that it can do on pavement that any BMW can't do 5x better.

I think you completely missed the point of his post.

 

[pup]

I think you completely missed the point of his post.

Not sure what the point would be otherwise. "Gee, my 650i can't climb that curb" wouldn't be much of a revelation to anyone.

 

[jaz13]

I really like my Raptor, but having been a BMW owner as well, I'm struggling to think of much that it can do on pavement that any BMW can't do 5x better.

Haul 4 guys to Moab with all their biking and camping gear. (did that 2 weeks ago)

Navigate a drive through without scratching a rim.

Faster 0-60 time than comparably priced X5.

Grab a load of supplies from Home Depot.

Tow anything of size.

Go through a construction zone with all of your fillings still in tact.

Maintenance bills don't require a home equity line of credit.

Etc

I used to be a huge BMW fanboy, but I was behind an X5M at the kids' dropoff this morning and I couldn't help but think about how much more attractive, fun, and useful the Raptor is for us and our lifestyle. The X5M goes fast in a straight line, but that is about as fun as it gets in that $100k grocery getter.

 

[pup]

Yeah but you can say all of those things for a Honda Ridgeline, too. And the Ridgeline will have better handling.

 

[AndysLog]

Don't be such a luddite. Without this guy, there wouldn't be a Ford Raptor at all, including your precious Gen 1.

the ford raptor didnt come down to a single guy lol.
FORD as a company had him do it, he wasnt a rogue from star wars lololololo.

if it werent him it would have been someone else.